Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Some things to keep in mind when using the portal to purchase ticket packages:

Once you've logged in, you'll see a window like below:

Click the "2. CHOOSE PACKAGE" button at the top of the page (circled in red above), not the "Members" button to see the list of packages for purchase.

When you checkout and complete your purchase, the site will pop up a window with your pick up vouchers, so turn off any pop-up blockers in your browser. Note, your vouchers are also e-mailed to you to the e-mail address you specified in your profile. The e-mail stated that they can't resend vouchers, so don't lose the e-mail, otherwise you'll have to go do in person to get them.

I did see a bug where on the checkout screen, the line item price for 2 programme books I ordered was incorrect even though the grand total was fine. Purchase went through without any problem, though, and I got the correct number of vouchers.

Speed is now back up as well; the portal was initially very, very slow.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Just a reminder that ticket packages go on sale to TIFF Members starting Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 10:00 AM Eastern time (all payment methods are accepted). Note debit and cash are not accepted for online sales.

Non-members can purchase starting July 3, 2013 at 10:00 AM Eastern time, but only if paying by Visa. If you are a non-member that wants to pay by Amex, MasterCard, debit, or cash, you must wait until July 10, 2013 at 10:00 AM Eastern. Note debit and cash are not accepted for online sales.

Your best bet is to use the online site at http://tiff.net/thefestival, but you can also call (416) 599-TIFF or 1-888-599-8433, or visit the TIFF Bell Lightbox at 350 King St W. Note that the TIFF Bell Lightbox only does sales from June 25 to August 19. Starting August 20 a special festival box office will open.

Generally, most packages do not sell out with one exception; the Premium Flex Pack sold out the first day of Member sales last year. They released additional Premium packs the first day of sales to non-Members paying by Visa, but they sold out that same day. So if you want a Premium Flex Pack, I would recommend purchasing it as soon as possible. For all other packs you can buy at your leisure.

The Ticket Wizard provides help on selecting which package may be best for you.

The Product List provides information on each ticket package and on single tickets, including a detailed breakdown of pricing.

The Key Dates page provides important dates you should keep an eye on.

Ticket Info has information about the ticketing process.

Ticket Policies has information about conditions and restrictions, such as how many packages you can buy per account.

FAQ has answers to frequently asked questions.

Some initial observations on the ticket packages for this year:

I think prices are up very slightly; note this year they are including HST (provincial/federal sales tax) in their listed prices (but not the additional fees that may be tacked on). I think in previous years they had excluded HST and fees from the listed prices.

There's no separate 10-ticket pack; it's been included in the "Regular Flex Pack", which allows you to by in increments of 10 tickets from 10 to 100.

The Contemporary World Cinema TIFF Choice Pack is slightly different this year; you get extended Q&As with each of the 5 films.

Note the Premium Flex Pack, Back-Half Pack, and Daytime Pack My Choice ticket packages each have two sizes; e.g. the Premium Flex Pack has one version with 6 tickets, and another version with 12.

The Online system will be used again this year; Members have earlier windows for ticket purchase and selection as always, determine by their specific member level.

For My Choice Packages, there is a limit of one package type per account; i.e. you can't buy 2 Daytime Packs; however, with these packages you can get 4 tickets per screening per account. Exchanges are allowed only prior to the day of screening.

For TIFF Choice Packages, you can buy up to 4 per account; there doesn't appear to be a restriction on type; e.g. you could buy 2 Midnight Madness packages. No exchanges are allowed on tickets in these packages.

Important dates to keep in mind (dates in bold represent points of interest for non-TIFF Members):